Minor Moves: Kip Wells, Diaz, Thomas
Five years ago today, the Athletics traded Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Cubs for Josh Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Eric Patterson. At the time, Gallagher was considered the centerpiece for Oakland, though Donaldson, an A ball catcher, had been drafted in the first round the year prior and had promise despite offensive struggles to that point in '08. Donaldson reached the Majors as a catcher in 2010, but was moved back to third base and became the A's starter there last year. Now, after a huge first half, Donaldson had the honor of being snubbed for the All-Star team. Perhaps he'll find his way onto the roster as various players bow out. On to today's minor moves:
- 12-year MLB veteran Kip Wells is contemplating retirement, agent Burton Rocks tells MLBTR's Zach Links. Wells was released by the Angels in late May. He's looking for a minor league opportunity with a realistic shot of being brought up to contribute at the big league level. If nothing materializes by season's end, Wells is considering moving into the player development/scouting side of baseball. Wells was drafted by the White Sox in the first round in 1998; he posted a 3.43 ERA over 395 2/3 innings for the Pirates from 2002-03 and earned over $17MM in his career.
- Red Sox infielder Jonathan Diaz was outrighted to Triple-A today, tweets Jenny Dell of NESN. The move brings the team's 40-man roster count down to 39. Diaz, 28, made his big league debut June 29th, starting at third base and popping out against Toronto's Esmil Rogers. He was hitting .242/.350/.341 in 220 Triple-A plate appearances. Diaz was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 12th round in '06, a dozen picks before the Angels snagged Jordan Walden.
- Lefty Justin Thomas is headed to Japan to join the Nippon Ham Fighters, he announced on Twitter today. Thomas, who exercised an out clause in his minor league contract with the Athletics earlier this month, joins former big leaguers Micah Hoffpauir, Brian Wolfe, and Kaz Tadano. Thomas, 29, was drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round in 2005, a round which later produced Major Leaguers Jeremy Hellickson, Justin Maxwell, Gaby Sanchez, Sam LeCure, Chris Getz, Mike Baxter, Mat Gamel, and Brent Lillibridge.
- Six players currently reside in DFA limbo: Jeremy Bonderman of the Mariners, Adam Rosales of the Athletics, Carlos Carrasco of the Indians, Brandon Lyon of the Mets, Hector Gimenez of the White Sox, and Shawn Camp of the Cubs. The Royals requested unconditional release waivers on Jeff Francoeur on Friday, so he'll likely be a free agent soon. The Twins' P.J. Walters cleared waivers and is likely to accept an outright assignment.
Athletics Designate Adam Rosales For Assignment
The Athletics designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment today to open a roster spot for Grant Green, announced the team on Twitter. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported this scenario last night.
Rosales, 30, is hitting .200/.273/.331 in 147 plate appearances this year. He's mostly played shortstop, but also appeared at second base, third base, and left field. Rosales was drafted by the Reds in the 12th round in 2005, a round which also produced big leaguers Matt Joyce and Craig Stammen. The A's acquired Rosales and Willy Taveras from the A's for Aaron Miles and a player to be named later in February 2010; Rosales was the good part of a bad contract swap. He's earning $700K after being eligible for arbitration for the second time during the offseason.
Green, 25, was drafted 13th overall out of USC by the A's in 2009. Only one college player drafted that early has yet to appear in the Majors: catcher Tony Sanchez, drafted fourth by the Pirates. Green, a second baseman this year at Triple-A, was hitting .318/.374/.500 with 11 home runs in 388 plate appearances.
Quick Hits: Green, Rosales, Blue Jays
The Athletics are set to promote Grant Green for their series in Pittsburgh tomorrow, and the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser suggests that the move could result in Adam Rosales being designated for assignment. Green is hitting .318/.374/.500 for Triple-A Sacramento, while Rosales is batting .200/.273/.331 for Oakland. The A's could use Green as a right-handed complement to second baseman Eric Sogard, Slusser suggests, particularly since the Pirates will start lefties Jeff Locke and Francisco Liriano in the upcoming series. Rosales, meanwhile, has played sparingly since mid-June. Here are more notes from around MLB.
- The Blue Jays just signed sixth-round draft pick Matt Boyd for just $75K (compared to a slot value of $250K), which is significant because the Jays have now saved nearly $1.8MM against their bonus pool, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets. (The Jays also recently signed second-rounder Clinton Hollon for significantly below slot, and several other picks have signed for below slot as well.) The Boyd signing confirms what had already seemed to be the Jays' strategy — the Jays appear to be positioning themselves to land first-rounder Phil Bickford, along with 11th-rounder Jake Brentz and 30th-rounder Rowdy Tellez, all of whom are perceived as being tough signs. Tellez, Callis says, will likely cost the Jays second-round money.
- Kiley McDaniel of Scout.com confirms (or reports) a number of signings of international players, including a few significant ones not yet mentioned on MLBTR: Kelvin Beltre (Giants, $650K), Rudy Giron (Padres, $600K), Yoan Aybar (Red Sox, $450K), and Adrian Valerio (Pirates, $400K).
Injury Notes: Carpenter, Anderson, Pagan, Chen, Cervelli
As always, the rehabilitation status of injured players can have a major impact on teams' plans as the trade deadline nears. Here are a few updates on some players whose recovery could play a role in the trade market's development:
- Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter threw over 100 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and could face live hitters shortly, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Though Cards' GM John Mozeliak said recently that Carpenter's status is unlikely to factor into the team's plans, a continued positive trajectory could potentially change that stance.
- The Athletics received good news on starter Brett Anderson today, with MLB.com's Jane Lee reporting (via Twitter) that he will be shedding his walking boot and beginning to work back from an ankle fracture. She also tweets that manager Bob Melvin is bullish on Anderson returning strong, with Lee suggesting that we could see a repeat of Anderson's mid-August return from last season. While the A's rotation has not exactly been a problem area, some have suggested that Oakland could shop for another arm.
- It appears that the Giants are prepared to go the rest of the way without center fielder Angel Pagan, with the club putting him on the 60-day DL. The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea also relayed comments (on Twitter) by GM Brian Sabean indicating that the club does not expect him back in 2013. As previously noted, this could make the Giants potential buyers for a Pagan replacement.
- On the other hand, in spite of that need (and this evening's earlier report that the club is actively pursuing Ricky Nolasco), San Francisco could instead stand pat. Shea tweets that, according to Sabean, the Giants will not make any acquisitions unless the team turns around its play before the deadline.
- Though the Orioles recently added a starter in the first significant trade of the pre-deadline market, they could still be considering the addition of more starting pitching. One major factor in Baltimore's internal analysis will surely be the return of Wei-Yin Chen, who has missed much of the year with a strained oblique. Chen looked strong in his rehab outing last night and, according to Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun, could take a spot in the rotation as soon as Tuesday. If Chen can pick up where he left off — his ERA stands at 3.04 through his first 47 1/3 innings of the year — it may obviate the need for the O's to revisit the market.
- Another day, another bit of bad injury news for the Yankees. As Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger reports, the catching-strapped club learned yesterday that its primary backstop to start the year, Francisco Cervelli, will have his rehab halted and be shut down for two weeks. With an early August return now the best case scenario for Cervelli and rookie Austin Romine struggling, the Yankees could find it necessary to look for another capable backstop before the trade deadline.
Alex Rios’ No-Trade List
The seven-year, $69.835MM extension that Alex Rios signed with the Blue Jays back in 2008 didn't initially contain no-trade protection, but a limited no-trade clause allowing Rios to block trades to six teams kicked in starting in 2009. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that the six teams to which Rios can block a trade are the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Royals, Astros and Athletics.
The Rockies, Diamondbacks and A's are likely set on outfielders, and the Astros certainly aren't looking to buy at this time. However, the no-trade protection against the Yankees and (to a lesser extent) the Royals is significant, as both teams would make sense as suitors for Rios.
The struggling Yankees scored fewer runs than any team in baseball last month (88) and have a dearth of right-handed power. Offense is said to be New York's primary need in trades. The Royals opened the season with Jeff Francoeur in right field but have since designated him for assignment. Recent reports did state that the chances of Kansas City making a big move were "slim," and David Lough has played well in place of Francoeur.
Int’l Prospect Signings: A’s, Angels, Rangers
It's open season on this year's class of July 2nd international prospects and we'll be keeping track of all notable signings. You can get familiar with the top guys this year by checking out the rankings from Baseball America and MLB.com. Here are the latest deals..
- The A's inked Nicaraguan shortstop Jesus Lopez to a $950K contract, tweets John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group. BA has him ranked as the 14th best player in this class and speaks highly of his bat. Lopez has been switch-hitting for only a year or so and some scouts already like his left-handed swing better than his natural right-handed stroke.
- The Angels signed Venezuelan left-hander Ricardo Sanchez for $580K, according to Kiley McDaniel of FOX Sports (via Twitter). BA had him ranked as the No. 27 player in this year's class and says that the undersized Venezuelan lefty reminds scouts of Rays left-hander Alex Torres. Boston also had interest in signing Sanchez.
- The Rangers signed Dominican shortstop Michael de Leon for $550K. The 16-year-old switch-hitter,who is ranked as the No. 26 international prospect by BA, stands at 6'1", 160 pounds and boasts a strong line-drive swing. While he makes the routine plays at shortstop, some scouts think his future could be at second base.
International Prospect Signings: Astros, Cards, Yankees, Tigers, Brewers
Teams were able to submit contracts for this year's class of July 2nd international prospects starting at 8am central time today. You can find rankings here from Baseball America and MLB.com, and information on each team's international bonus pool at BA. This is the first year in which teams have different bonus pools, and as explained by BA's Ben Badler, teams can trade for up to 50% of their pools (with plenty of stipulations). The latest deals:
- Badler reports that the Astros have signed Dominican shortstop Joan Mauricio for $600K. The infielder didn't make the Top 30 from BA or MLB.com, but Badler lauds his defensive actions and hands.
- The Cardinals have signed Venezuelan outfielder Carlos Talavera (No. 28 on BA's list), Badler reports. The Cardinals have announced that signing as well as three others, and Kiley McDaniel has the bonus amounts: Dominican shortstop Hector Linares received $400K, Dominican right-hander Sandy Alcantara received $125K and Nicaraguan lefty Kerrion Bennett got $30K (Twitter links).
- The Yankees have signed Dominican shortstop Yonauris Rodriguez for $575K, according to Sanchez (on Twitter). BA noted that he's one of the best defensive shortstop prospects in Latin America.
- The Tigers signed Venezuelan catcher Elys Escobar for $350K, reports Badler. They also signed shortstop Hector Martinez for $400K, tweets Sanchez. MLB.com's Jason Beck adds that the team has also reached agreements with Venezuelan outfielder Hector Hernandez and Venezuelan shortstop Anthony Pereira (Twitter link).
- The Brewers signed Dominican outfielder Nicolas Pierre for $800K, tweets Soldevila. Badler ranked him 20th, noting the Brewers connection, while MLB.com had him 28th. The Brewers also signed shortstop Franly Mallen, Badler reports. He later tweeted that MLB.com's No. 22 prospect received the same $800K bonus as Pierre.
- The Athletics signed Dominican shortstop Carlos Hiciano for $750K, reports Badler. The speedy infielder was 17th on BA's rankings and 26th at MLB.com.
- The Indians signed Dominican outfielder Junior Soto for $600K, reports Badler. He's known for his right-handed raw power. Dionisio Soldevila of ESPN Deportes tweets that the team also signed shortstop Willy Castro for $850K
- The Padres signed shortstop Ruddy Giron for $600K, tweets Soldevila. Baseball America called Giron a "high-energy player with good athleticism and above-average speed."
- The Diamondbacks signed Dominican outfielder Francis Martinez for $350K and Dominican third baseman Josue Herrera for $150K, reports Badler. They're nearing a deal with switch-hitting Venezuelan catcher Jose Herrera worth an estimated $1MM, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. MLB.com ranks Herrera seventh; BA has him tenth.
- The Cubs signed Dominican righty Jefferson Mejia for $850K, according to Badler. Badler notes that the 18-year-old Mejia can begin playing immediately, as his contract is for the 2013 season unlike most July 2 signings. Mejia previously had an issue with his paperwork and had been declared ineligible to sign until April. At $4,557,200, the Cubs have the second-largest bonus pool and figure to be active.
- The Mets signed Venezuelan catcher Ali Sanchez for $690K, reports Badler. BA ranked him 25th, calling him an "intelligent, high-energy player" and noting the many Venzuelan catchers in the big leagues. The Mets also signed Venezuelan righty Luis Silva for $275K, according to Badler. They signed Dominican shortstop Yeffry de Aza for $475K, he adds. The Mets have a pool of $2,664,600 this year.
- Colombian righty Erick Julio agreed to sign with the Rockies, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Julio, the best prospect out of Colombia this year, was ranked 14th by MLB.com and 13th by Baseball America's Ben Badler. The Rockies are also expected to sign Venezuelan shortstop Carlos Herrera for close to $1MM, tweets Sanchez. He was ranked 11th by BA and 15th by MLB.com. The Rockies have the third-largest international bonus pool this year, at $4,213,800 according to BA.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Owings, Ramirez, Jurrjens
Today's minor moves from around the league…
- Justin Thomas exercised his out clause with the Athletics and is now a free agent, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). Thomas made 16 starts for the club's Triple-A affiliate, posting a 4.48 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
- The Nationals have granted Micah Owings his release from Triple-A Syracuse, tweets Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com. The former pitcher had been trying to make the team as a position player. He batted .265/.305/.480 with eight homers and played primarily left field in 57 games for the Chiefs this season.
- In addition to the two Rays moves below, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the team signed recently released right-hander Ramon Ramirez. The 31-year-old was an elite setup ma from 2008-11, posting a 2.77 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 for the Royals, Red Sox and Giants, but he's struggled the past two seasons in San Francisco.
- The Rays have released Triple-A right-hander Will Inman and signed outfielder Evan Frey, the team announced on Twitter. Inman, 26, posted a 6.47 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 32 innings. Frey is a .271/.369/.357 hitter in 213 career games at Triple-A.
- Jonathan Sanchez has decided against exercising his July 1 opt-out clause with the Dodgers and instead negotiated a new opt-out date, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The lefty signed with the Dodgers in May but only got the opportunity to start two games for Triple-A Albuquerque. Sanchez began the year with the Pirates but didn't last long as he was designated for assignment after just five appearances and an 11.85 ERA.
- Jair Jurrjens has been officially optioned to Triple-A, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles optioned Jurrjens rather than technically designating him for assignment, though he had the right to refuse the assignment. Jurrjens accepted, and will report to Norfolk in 72 hours (All Twitter links).
- Nine players are in DFA limbo: Carlos Marmol (Cubs), Francisley Bueno (Royals), Eric Hinske (D-Backs), Luis Cruz (Dodgers), Alex Liddi (Mariners), Clayton Mortensen (Red Sox), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Jeff Francoeur (Royals) and Matt Guerrier (Dodgers).
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Konerko, Garza, Gonzalez, Yankees
Paul Konerko isn't interested in discussing a potential trade from the White Sox to a contender, MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports on Twitter. "I don’t know many teams that are going to want a guy who can’t play," the first baseman said. Konerko, 37, is nursing a back injury and hasn't played since June 23rd. As Merkin notes, Konerko has ten-and-five rights, meaning he cannot be traded without permission. The White Sox reportedly aren't interested in moving him anyway, even though they expect to be sellers at the deadline. Here's more from around baseball..
- The Orioles are interested in the Cubs' Matt Garza after being "lukewarm" on him previously, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports via Twitter. However, they believe the Cubs' current asking price is too high.
- A team source says Cuban righty Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is "not a fit" for the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, via Twitter. The Nats had two scouts watch Gonzalez pitch this month but believe he'll be overpriced.
- The Yankees aren't involved in discussions for Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco "or any other pitcher," FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says via Twitter, noting that offense is the team's primary need.
- It sounds as though A's GM Billy Beane will give serious thought to re-signing Grant Balfour, despite having two cheaper heir-apparents in the fold, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Deadline Notes: Starters, Astros, Utley, Braves, Perkins
Let's have a look at the latest talk surrounding the approaching trade deadline season:
- Starting pitching is an active priority for the Orioles, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Hurlers that the club is reportedly looking at include Ricky Nolasco (Marlins), Edinson Volquez and Andrew Cashner (Padres), Matt Garza and Scott Feldman (Cubs), Jake Peavy (White Sox), Bud Norris (Astros), and recent Oriole Joe Saunders (currently with the Mariners). The trouble for the O's, according to Connolly, will be coming up with enough prospects that the team can stomach dealing.
- The Giants are most interested in acquiring a starter that the team can control for more than this year, tweets FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi. In spite of that preference, Morosi says that San Francisco is interested in popular trade subject Matt Garza.
- The Cubs' Garza is generating a lot of attention given his evident availability and intriguing return from a long DL stint. Paul Swydan of Fangraphs wonders, however, whether the oft-injured Garza is really worth the hype. Swydan says that Garza's overall track record as a solid middle or back-of-the-rotation starter is what teams should expect to be buying, especially since his recent starts have come against some of baseball's weaker-hitting clubs.
- Trade talks are "ongoing" for two prominent members of the Astros, starter Bud Norris and closer Jose Veras, tweets Morosi. Both were recent subjects of MLBTR trade candidate analysis, as Mark Polishuk took a look at Norris and Steve Adams analyzed Veras.
- The most obvious trade in baseball, according to Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, is a deal sending Chase Utley from the Phillies to the Athletics. Cameron argues that Utley is still a highly productive second bagger, and would be a huge upgrade at the spot that the A's most need one.
- With the Braves losing key bench bat Ramiro Pena to season-ending shoulder surgery, MLB.com's Mark Bowman wonders whether the team will be more inclined to seek a third baseman before the trade deadline. While Chris Johnson has hit the ball fantastically, he has been a problem on the defensive side. Meanwhile, the team designated and then traded Johnson's early-season platoon partner, Juan Francisco, earlier in the year.
- The Twins face a difficult choice with 30-year-old closer Glen Perkins, writes ESPN's Buster Olney (on Insider). (Olney expanded upon his tweet yesterday addressing the Perkins situation.) With Perkins' value trending way up — he sports a 2.12 ERA, has registered 12.4 K/9 against just 2.1 BB/9, and is inked to a very reasonable three-year deal (plus option) — Minnesota could reap a major return.